MagicalArmchair
Well-Known Member
Nice to have a visual display of where you have swung with tide/wind at anchor too - GPS works within the cabin on iphone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/anchoralert/id363449327?mt=8
Laptop or chartplotter?
- Thread starter single
- Start date
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Well-Known Member
I have a 7" SH (has been working without fault since 2008) as primary chartplotter on the cockpit and a new Samsung Tab Pro tablet with Navionics which I use at home and on the boat. Both perform very well within their own limits.
single
Well-Known Member
Why do Londonchartplotters tend to use Vista? Isn't it a bit out of date????
Momac
Well-Known Member
the london chartplotters websire says .....''Toughbooks aren't brand new but after being completely refurbished, they are always in excellent condition''
single
Well-Known Member
I know but they seem to go to town upgrading all the other bits, so why not have atleast XP or 7?
Strolls
Well-Known Member
It looks like Vista is still supported for security updates, XP is not.
I know lots of people hate it, but I never had a problem with Vista. Now it's been all service-packed up I imagine most complaints have been fixed.
Dougal
Well-Known Member
...but what global imaging software is running? Mine won't seem to run any! Maybe it has to be a 'contract' phone and not PAYG ?
pvb
Well-Known Member
You need the plotter in the cockpit, so it has to be waterproof, so it should be a proper chartplotter. You also need to be sure it'll still work when you really need it, so it needs to be powered from the main battery bank, not from an internal battery, which again points towards a proper chartplotter. Finally, proper chartplotters are designed specifically to do the job, and are generally very good at it. In comparison, laptops are entertaining toys.
TSB240
Well-Known Member
The problem with plotters is the planning stage when the screen is never big enough to properly view your entire route of say 70-90 NM without zooming in and out and panning. Even paper charts are better.
A laptop is still a compromise but not brilliant.
I am just trying out one of these pipo X7 units (windows based) which plugs in via an HDMI lead to our Avtex 27" TV (very low power consumption)
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/pipo-x7-1282773/review
Can be bought for about £80 combined with a usb Gps stick, Open cpn and Visit my harbour charts or CM93 charts all in around £135.
So far I have installed OPEN CPN, NavmonPC and also connected My AIS and Networked instruments all into the unit.
It is capable of connecting to the Marina wifi for E mails Web Browsing and I Player etc.
It can be driven directly from the boats 12v supply via a decent voltage stabilizer and draws less than an amp unless being worked hard.
I have also set up my old wifi router and created an adhoc network so that I can remotely control and view Open CPN with an android tablet from the cockpit using splashtop app.
There might be an easier option which is to use a bluetooth mouse/Keyboard and a dedicated additional screen in the Cockpit, Deckhouse or under the spray hood.
The biggest problem is finding a reasonable daylight viewable screen.
Small dedicated chartplotters do not have this problem
So far I have tried it and working at Home Looks good on a 42" Plotter!
No fan. No Heat minimal power consumption. Can be hidden away behind the electrical switch panel.
A laptop is still a compromise but not brilliant.
I am just trying out one of these pipo X7 units (windows based) which plugs in via an HDMI lead to our Avtex 27" TV (very low power consumption)
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/pipo-x7-1282773/review
Can be bought for about £80 combined with a usb Gps stick, Open cpn and Visit my harbour charts or CM93 charts all in around £135.
So far I have installed OPEN CPN, NavmonPC and also connected My AIS and Networked instruments all into the unit.
It is capable of connecting to the Marina wifi for E mails Web Browsing and I Player etc.
It can be driven directly from the boats 12v supply via a decent voltage stabilizer and draws less than an amp unless being worked hard.
I have also set up my old wifi router and created an adhoc network so that I can remotely control and view Open CPN with an android tablet from the cockpit using splashtop app.
There might be an easier option which is to use a bluetooth mouse/Keyboard and a dedicated additional screen in the Cockpit, Deckhouse or under the spray hood.
The biggest problem is finding a reasonable daylight viewable screen.
Small dedicated chartplotters do not have this problem
So far I have tried it and working at Home Looks good on a 42" Plotter!
No fan. No Heat minimal power consumption. Can be hidden away behind the electrical switch panel.
JVL
Well-Known Member
Is it not strange then how so many delivery skippers seem to travel the worlds oceans navigating with "entertaining toys" as you call them, independent reliability would be nearer the mark. To each his own!
John
Ps
Declared interest I navigate with a toughbook , chartplotters, gps x2, sextant and tables oh and sometimes with a pretty map thingy and pencils and stuff
Last edited:
Momac
Well-Known Member
I do have a fitted plotter , but also a tablet.
The tablets sold by london chartplotters do not need a sim card or an internet connection to operate as a functioning plotter using the 'marine navigator' app included. The marine navigator app works off raster charts. I regard the tablet as my back up system. The tablet can of course be used for internet when wifi is available - or would accept a data sim .
I have also linked my tablet to the raymarine e7 plotter. Using the free 'raycontrol' app I can see the same image as the plotter on the tablet screen and also control the plotter from the tablet - all through bluetooth. Therefore the tablet makes a relatively inexpensive second station (compared to another Raymarine MFD) for use in the interior of the boat only . The tablet needs to be connected to 12volt while in use as I believe the battery life would not be great when using GPS or bluetooth, but this simply needs a 12v socket on the boat near the place you want to put the tablet. The tablet screen is useless in outdoor light.
.
The tablets sold by london chartplotters do not need a sim card or an internet connection to operate as a functioning plotter using the 'marine navigator' app included. The marine navigator app works off raster charts. I regard the tablet as my back up system. The tablet can of course be used for internet when wifi is available - or would accept a data sim .
I have also linked my tablet to the raymarine e7 plotter. Using the free 'raycontrol' app I can see the same image as the plotter on the tablet screen and also control the plotter from the tablet - all through bluetooth. Therefore the tablet makes a relatively inexpensive second station (compared to another Raymarine MFD) for use in the interior of the boat only . The tablet needs to be connected to 12volt while in use as I believe the battery life would not be great when using GPS or bluetooth, but this simply needs a 12v socket on the boat near the place you want to put the tablet. The tablet screen is useless in outdoor light.
.
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
How did you get a hudl 2 for £99? Mine was £130. Agree its very good for the money but battery life could do with improving.
It doesn't have a SIM card or need WiFi or 4g to navigate (it would be pretty useless if it did).
It doesn't have a SIM card or need WiFi or 4g to navigate (it would be pretty useless if it did).
pvb
Well-Known Member
Delivery skippers never know what equipment they're going to find on a boat - or indeed whether the equipment works. That's why they need a back-up. The delivery skippers I've chatted with seem to prefer using the boat's own plotter if it works.
Strolls
Well-Known Member
Tesco have regular deals on them, £10 or £20 off, and often sell refurbished ones for less.
Looks like current price is £99, but there's a code this week for new customers (open an account with a new email address) to get £20 off their first order over £100. Add a bag of sweets to your order, voila £80.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hudl+hotukdeals
londonchartplotters
Member
Because any laptop upgraded to a op system that didn't exist when it was made will run a lot slower.drivers for sound,touchscreen may not be available.
No support means no more bugs left to fix!!!
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
If you can afford it a plotter has distinct advantages over laptop/tablet. But the latter are way cheaper as long as you're not an Apple addict.
RupertW
Well-Known Member
Until a couple of years ago I would have said I sailed without a chartplotter and have never seen the need even on long or complex passages. However I did get the Navionics app for my iPad then and found it very useful for passage planning and something to check now and again against visual input. It sits on the chart table (along with charts I'm afraid).
I just still prefer eyeballs and even in fog I'm fine with just lat and long from a GPS - which I really did find was a great step forward in the 90s.
To me, if you are happy without a screen in front of you to steer by then a tablet is a cheap way of getting most of the functionality. If you need a screen then obviously sun visible, tough and waterproof are essential.
I just still prefer eyeballs and even in fog I'm fine with just lat and long from a GPS - which I really did find was a great step forward in the 90s.
To me, if you are happy without a screen in front of you to steer by then a tablet is a cheap way of getting most of the functionality. If you need a screen then obviously sun visible, tough and waterproof are essential.
Tammany
Well-Known Member
Most standalone chartplotters are waterproof to 1m immersion. I have the garmin echomap 50s. Mainly bought as it was on sale at the time plus it has wifi and equivelant phone/tablet apps. What they fail to mention though is the android version of the app doesn't work so I'll have to get a cheap ipad to utilize the wifi feature. Grrr!! Their are now fully waterproof tablets that could also be used quite successfully in damp conditions.
Amulet
Well-Known Member
I can never understand what folk have against laptop navigation. It has worked fine for me for ten years. With wireless keyboard and mouse you can set it up so that you never need to touch the actual laptop. I haven't found the need. The laptop below talks to a waterproof tablet (bluetooth). I upload routes to simple GPS72's in the cockpit that can be configured to display almost any parameter you want. It's true that I don't have the combined capabilities to exploit the wind instrument in combination with the plotter or drive the autohelm (though it can be done).
Laptops can be a bit fragile, and there was a day when I carried two (or even three at one point). Nowadays I don't bother, because there are usually at least two tablets and three phones aboard with fairly comprehensive nav displays.
I seem to effectively have more capability in use than many of my plotter owning friends. This is because I can quietly plan routes on the tablet over my morning tea in my bunk and tinker about in a relaxed way. I then just have to bluetooth them to the real nav system when I get up.
Laptops can be a bit fragile, and there was a day when I carried two (or even three at one point). Nowadays I don't bother, because there are usually at least two tablets and three phones aboard with fairly comprehensive nav displays.
I seem to effectively have more capability in use than many of my plotter owning friends. This is because I can quietly plan routes on the tablet over my morning tea in my bunk and tinker about in a relaxed way. I then just have to bluetooth them to the real nav system when I get up.